Allard Beutel<br />Headquarters, Washington July 16, 2004<br />(Phone: 202/358-4769)<br /><br />Jessica Rye<br />Kennedy Space Center, Fla.<br />(Phone: 321/867-2468)<br /><br />SPACE SHUTTLE PROCESSING STATUS REPORT: S04-20<br /><br /> The Space Shuttle fleet is housed and processed at <br />NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. The order the Space <br />Shuttles are listed in this report does not necessarily <br />reflect the chronological order of future missions.<br /><br />Discovery (OV-103)<br /><br />Work continues to progress well on Discovery for its Return <br />to Flight mission, STS-114, to the International Space <br />Station. The right-hand Orbital Maneuvering System pod has <br />been transferred to the Orbiter Processing Facility, with <br />final inspection scheduled for today. Final installation for <br />flight is scheduled for next week.<br /><br />Freon Coolant Loop No. 2 is reassembled and leak checks on <br />loops No. 1 and 2 are complete. Water Coolant Loop No. 2 <br />servicing is in progress and Loop No. 1 will start being <br />drained next week.<br /><br />Atlantis (OV-104)<br /><br />In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians continue <br />processing Atlantis for its future mission to the <br />International Space Station. The vehicle remains in a <br />scheduled four-month power-down period for Return to Flight <br />modifications, which are progressing well. Body flap removal <br />preparations have begun. Body flap and actuator removal is <br />scheduled for next week.<br /><br />The chin panel, the smile-shaped section of Reinforced <br />Carbon-Carbon that fits directly below the nose cap to <br />provide a thermal barrier during reentry, has been installed. <br />Thermal Protection System blankets continue being installed <br />in the nose cap, with installation of the nose cap scheduled <br />for next week. Four left-hand carrier panels have been <br />installed.<br /><br />Endeavour (OV-105)<br /><br />Space Shuttle Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification <br />period, which began last December. Electrical modifications <br />continue in the crew module. The nose cap fit check, which is <br />a pre-installation inspection to see whether all components <br />fit together properly, was successfully completed.<br /><br />Work is continuing on installing Thermal Protection System <br />tiles on the External Tank door and main engine's Dome Heat <br />Shield. The fit check of the Global Positioning Satellite <br />antennas is complete. The antennas were removed and sent to <br />the NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for <br />the final modifications prior to installation for flight.<br /><br />Previous Space Shuttle processing status reports are <br />available on the Internet at:<br /><br />http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/status/status.htm<br /><br />For information about the NASA's Return to Flight efforts on <br />the Internet, visit:<br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov/news/highlights/returntoflight.html<br /><br />For information about NASA and agency programs on the <br />Internet, visit:<br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov